HB314/SB211 (2019) - Abortion Ban

This bill would make providing or helping someone to get an abortion a crime in Alabama with no exceptions for rape or incest. This legislation is extreme and goes too far in inserting government into a woman's personal, private healthcare decisions. In response to this bill, the ACLU of Alabama has issued a press release warning Alabama legislators of the cost of litigating what is a clearly unconstitutional legislation, and we will continue to organize to defeat this costly and wasteful attack on reproductive rights.

Status

This bill was introduced on April 2, 2019 and assigned to the House Judiciary committee. On April 3, it was reassigned to the House Health committee. It was up for a public hearing on Wednesday, April 17, 2019, where it passed favorably out of committee. It will now move to the full floor to debate and vote. It was placed on the Special Order Calendar for Tuesday, April 30. On Tuesday, it passed the House, and went to the Senate Judiciary committee on Wednesday, who passed the bill with one amendment for exceptions for rape and incest. On Thursday, when the bill went to the floor of the Senate, members rushed through a voice vote to remove the amendment, which led to some confusion and the Senate adjourned, carrying the bill over to Tuesday, May 14. The bill was passed on the Senate floor with a vote of 25-7. Less than 24 hours after the bill passed, Gov. Ivey signed it into law.

There was also a companion bill introduced, SB211, which was also assigned to the Senate Judiciary committee.

ACLU of Alabama Comment

“These lawsuits are a part of a plan to overturn Roe v. Wade at the Supreme Court. They know they will not win in federal, district, or appeals courts because these bills are flagrantly unconstitutional. However, if a state loses in lower courts, appeals to the Supreme Court and is denied review, then they will owe potentially hundreds of thousands of taxpayer money in attorney fees. None of these states including Alabama can afford to throw money away like that. Legislators in Alabama have wasted millions of dollars on trying to get involved in a woman’s personal healthcare decisions. They stand to lose millions more if they pass this patently unconstitutional attempt to ban abortion.”

News

4/15/2019 - Bill to outlaw most abortions in Alabama to get hearing [New York Times]